Hearts at War
by Repliku14
Summary: AU In a war between nations, two soldiers of opposite factions will meet- Terra and Aqua. They are enemies with everything to lose, but somehow, destiny has chosen for them to be together.
1. Chapter 1-Terra

**Note to self: DON'T watch JonTron while trying to focus on writing a fanfic. Still gonna do it anyway.**

Terra stood atop the pile of rubble, surveying the remnants of the battlefield. The city was decimated, only a few buildings standing. Stray enemy soldiers and civilians were being rounded up, tanks and armored vehicles roaming the streets.

_Another victory for the Strylvakian Army. _Terra sighed. Strylvakia, his home nation, had invaded and seized control of one of the nations allied with the Vulgaran Republic three years ago. Wanting to support his homeland, he had enlisted almost immediately. Once he arrived at the training camp, he had been assigned a squad that he would be training and rooming with. His squad consisted of Zack Fair (one of his childhood friends), Cloud Strife, Lea O' Donnell, Isa McGrath, and Aeleus Stoneworth. They all had varying personalities, but they had warmed to each other quickly.

They received six months of training before being thrust into the front lines. So far, they had all survived, and for that he was grateful. Friends provided moral support and had his back. He remembered a time where an enemy infiltrator had snuck up behind him and was about to finish him off when Lea sniped him from afar.

"C'mon, Terra, time to pack up," said Zack. Terra slid down the rubble pile and rejoined his squad. He noticed that Isa's arm had a bloody bandage.

"What happened?" Terra inquired.

"Got in a knife fight."

The group hopped in the back of an armored truck. Looking out the window, Terra noticed a little boy crying.

_Do we really need all this bloodshed? _Terra sometimes forgot why they were fighting in the first place. Then he would remember: Strylvakia wished to expand, and since there was no unclaimed territory around, they had decided to invade. Terra would even question his allegiance sometimes; after all, wasn't this all the result of the greed of his nation's rulers?

The truck arrived at the home base. It was almost dinnertime.

"I'm gonna head to the barracks and drop off my gear. See ya in a few," said Lea. The rest of them headed off to the mess hall to eat.

Terra, Zack, Cloud, Isa, and Aeleus sat at a table, eating dinner: meat and potato soup. Lea sat down next to them.

"After this, I'm just gonna head back and try to sleep," said Lea. "Hopefully it'll just be a slow night tonight."

Suddenly, the alarms began to go off.

"You just HAD to say it, didn't you?" Cloud shouted.

Terra sighed. It would be a long night.

**Let me know how I did, yada, yada, yada. Also, I'm giving a special shout-out to** LoveAnime101, SoulNinjas, and SadisticRedWarrior **for being the first to favorite/follow my work. You guys are AWESOOOOOOME! I highly suggest that you follow their example. XP Anyway, check back every so often to see if I've done anything new. Repliku14, out. PEACE!**


	2. Chapter 2-Aqua

_-The Day Before- Vulgaran Barracks_

Aqua couldn't sleep. Sitting up in bed, she looked over at the clock. It was almost midnight.

Sighing, she looked over at one of her squad mates, Claire, who was reading a book.

"Pssst! Claire!" she whispered.

"What?" Her pink-haired friend asked, seeming annoyed.

"I can't sleep."

Claire sat up in her own bed, closing her book. "What do you think is the problem?"

Aqua sighed. "I keep thinking about Kairi and whether she's okay." Kairi was her little sister. Their father and mother had divorced when they were little, so their mother had to work two jobs to keep them in diapers. Aqua had joined the army to provide for Kairi and take a little bit of the load off her mother.

"What about Lea?"

Aqua felt a lump in her throat. Lea was her older brother. Their father had taken custody of him when they divorced, so Lea went with him when he moved to Strylvakia. Knowing Lea, he probably would have joined the army already.

"I don't think about him that much anymore. He's probably joined the Strylvakian army already. I just hope we don't have to fight each other."

"That's the thing. Just tell yourself that they'll be okay."

Aqua smiled. "Thanks, Claire." She laid back down and closed her eyes.

The Vulgaran Republic was in this war because Strylvakia had invaded one of their allied nations, meaning that there was a possibility that they were next. Aqua joined both to support her family and to serve her country. When she arrived, she was assigned a small squad of three others to train and room with. The three were Claire Farron, Tifa Lockhart, and Larxene Sanders. It took a while for them to get used to each other, but they eventually bonded. Claire was stoic yet brave, Larxene was energetic and aggressive, and Tifa was very kind-hearted. Aqua was grateful that none of them had been killed yet.

Finally, able to calm her mind, Aqua fell asleep.

The next day, Aqua woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. On her dresser sat a plate of breakfast food.

"I brought you your breakfast," said Tifa, who was tidying up her living space..

"Thanks, Tifa." Aqua smiled. Tifa was so nice.

The soldiers were called to a meeting in the mess hall after lunch. According to their lieutenant, an enemy base had been discovered a few days ago, and that they would attack it in the evening. Aqua and her squad headed back to their room and got their weapons and equipment ready.

_Rifle, check. Sword, check. Body armor, check. Survival kit, check. _She had everything she needed. The squad headed off to the vehicle bay and climbed into a transport vehicle. Aqua looked out the window as they began moving, mentally preparing herself for battle.


	3. Chapter 3-On the Run

A teenage boy sat inside a small cave. He was wearing an old Strylvakian army uniform with the insignia removed. He had spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. Beside him was a small rifle, for defending himself.

He looked out the cave entrance. It was still raining. However, he was running out of food, so he would need to move out soon.

Just then, a thunderous noise surged through the cave. A tank battalion rumbled past, forcing the boy to retreat into the darkness of the cave. He held his breath, releasing it only when the rumbling began to grow fainter.

"That was close," he said to himself. He gathered up his things and walked out of the cave. The rain had slowed down to a light drizzle.

Walking through the forest, he began foraging for anything edible. He found some berries and stored them in his backpack.

It wasn't always like this for him. He had been living a nice, easy life with his family. He had two siblings- a twin named Roxas and a little sister named Xion. They had been happy- going to school, playing with friends.

Then his country had been invaded. His father had joined the army to fight off the invaders, but that hadn't stopped them. Soon, half the country was controlled by the Strylvakians.

When they invaded his hometown, he and his family had been separated. To make matters worse, he had been captured by enemy soldiers. However, he had been able to escape, but not before he was dragged across the border.

He wondered how his family was doing. He had seen them reach a civilian transport, but he didn't know where they were currently.

He decided to go find them a year ago. They were probably in an evacuee camp somewhere in the Vulgaran Republic, but word was, war had already reached them, too.

_Where are you?_

-Evacuee Camp-

Inside their refugee home, 9-year-old Xion tugged on her mother's hand.

"Mommy, do you think Ventus is okay?" she asked.

"I'm sure he's fine, sweetie. Now, it's time to get to bed."

"Okay, Mommy." Xion crawled into her sleeping bag.

"Goodnight, sweetie," said her mother, kissing her on the forehead. She then walked over to the window. Gazing out, she sighed, hoping that Ventus would return home safely.

_Why isn't Roxas back yet? _Roxas had gone off to talk to some of his friends. She had told him to be back at eight o'clock, but it was now nine. _Where could he be?_

She heard a knock on the door. Opening it up, she was greeted with the sweaty, tired faces of Sora and Riku, two of Roxas's friends. They were both panting heavily.

"Mrs. Aerith!" they both said at the same time.

"Can I help you? Is something wrong?" she asked.

Sora spoke first. "Roxas was talking with us over by the mess hall when..."

"... Sora and I decided to head inside..."

"...but then we heard a noise behind us, we turned around..."

"...and some guys in red military uniforms dragged him off!"

Aerith gasped in horror.

The enemy soldiers had abducted her son.

**There you go! I was originally planning for Ventus to be left out of the story to leave more room for Terra and Aqua, but some of you were wondering if I would put him in, so I thought, "Why the heck not?" Plus, I don't want to disappoint anybody. **


	4. Chapter 4- A Question of Allegiance

Things were _not _going well for Terra.

He and his squad had been called for a technique that was commonly called the _Instant Front Lines._ Basically, troops are loaded into pods that are blasted towards the enemy in order to quickly respond to attacks. The launch was all right, if sudden, but the ride was incredibly shaky. And the landing- there were cushions in the pod, but if you weren't expecting it, the jolt would get you.

Terra and his squad mates were all on a steady course towards a forest with plenty of cover so that they wouldn't get slaughtered as soon as they emerged from their pods. However, the enemy must have seen them coming, because they began to launch anti-air missiles.

"Quite the welcoming party, wouldn't you say, fellas?" Lea said over his radio.

"Focus, Lea," replied Cloud.

"Geez, Cloud. Just tryin' to lighten the mood."

Terra looked at his radar, seeing a red dot speeding towards him. "Guys, I've got a missile headed my way!"

The missile went juuuust to his right- but then exploded, sending him veering to his left. "Mayday! Mayday! I've been knocked to the left!" However, his radio had been damaged, so nobody heard him as he careened into the ground.

Terra regained consciousness a few minutes later to the sound of gunshots and explosions. Popping off the pod door, he stepped out and observed his surroundings. He was in a forest, he could see that. His crash had flattened a few trees. He heard a stream to his left.

Terra walked to the stream and splashed some water on his face. Man, that crash had HURT! He wasn't bleeding, but he was sore all over. He activated his headset, hoping for a response.

"Lea? Cloud? Zack? Aeleus? Isa? Anyone, come in!" No use. His headset was busted. "Looks like I'm on my own." He pried his assault rifle from the pod and strapped it to his back.

After a few minutes of walking, Terra heard a rustling to his left. He ducked behind a boulder, readying his gun. Two soldiers walked out of the foliage.

"Where's everyone else? Awful quiet," said one soldier.

Terra rose up from behind the boulder.

"Oh, you just HAD to say that, didn't you?" said the other.

Terra fired on one, hitting him in the shoulder. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his wound. The other one readied his shotgun and fired. Terra took cover behind the rock. He pulled a flashbang from his vest and rolled it past. He covered his ears and shut his eyes as it went off. When he rose back up, the soldier was stumbling around. Terra shot him in the chest, then finished off the other soldier. Scavenging their corpses, Terra found some ammo and bandages.

_Should I take the shotgun? _Terra didn't really need it, but a shotgun is always handy in close-quarters. Plus, if someone needed a weapon, he would have one to spare.

_Ahh, what the heck. _Terra picked it up and strapped it to his back. You never know when you need another gun.

He made sure to reload his own weapon before moving on. It was getting dark, so he decided to get a move on. Soon, Terra heard a rumbling. Ducking behind a bush, he saw a tank and its repair team roll past. As he began edging backwards, he felt something nudge his foot. Looking back, he saw a rocket launcher with three extra shells.

_Am I lucky or what? _Picking it up, he brought it up to his shoulder and looked down the sights at the tank. He squeezed the trigger, and in a few seconds, the entire squad was obliterated. Terra decided to leave the launcher behind. He already had enough luggage.

He walked for another hour without a single encounter. Was he headed away from the fight? Maybe it was just over. Was he stranded?

Soon enough, he heard a cry of pain from his right. Wandering over into a clearing, he saw the source of the noise.

A blue-haired female was clutching her leg in pain. Terra was about to help her when he saw- she wore a Vulgaran Republic uniform.

_Would helping an enemy soldier be wrong?_ There wasn't anyone else around to see, was there? Plus, it would just be the right thing to do. He DID have to admit- some of it was just because she was a woman.

Terra walked into the clearing. "Need any help?"

"Yeah, I think my leg's bro-" She turned and saw him. Startled, she drew a pistol with her free hand and aimed at him. "Stay back!" she warned.

Terra put his hands up. "Relax. I'm here to help."

The female lowered her gun slightly. "How can I trust you?"

"Here." Terra walked over to a tree. With his sword, he cut part of it off in the form of two planks. Pulling a bandage from his small medical pack, he made a splint around her leg.

"... Thanks," said the female. "Hey, do you have any food?"

Terra searched his vest pockets and found a few strips of dried beef. "Here you go," he said, handing them to her. She wolfed them down greedily.

"It's getting dark. Should I make a fire? It'll help our squad mates find us."

"Sure. But... what do you think will happen when my squad finds me?"

"Oh... I hadn't really thought about that. I'll think of something."

Terra walked off into the forest in search of wood. While he gathered it, he thought, _Am I making the right choice?_

He returned with the firewood. He put it in a pile and lit it using a tinderbox. He laid down on the ground, staring at the sky.

"I guess all Strylvakians aren't that bad," said the female.

Terra was surprised by her directness about the topic. "Yeah..."

"My name's Aqua."

"Terra," he replied. "So, why did you join the army?"

"I... I wanted to protect my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah. Her name's Kairi. She's the sweetest little thing ever."

"Any other siblings?"

"An older brother, named Lea."

Terra sat up. "Lea? Last name O' Donnell?"

"Yes. Why? Do you know him?"

Terra nodded. "He's in my squad."

"How's he doing?"

"He's just fine. Now, why exactly are you two on opposite sides?"

"When our father and mother divorced, Dad took Lea with him. And of course, Lea just had to join the army. He can be a bit... overzealous."

"You're telling me." The two shared a laugh.

"So why did _you_ join the army?"

Terra thought. "Well... I never really thought about it all that much. Maybe... I just wanted to be loyal to my country. Like Lea."

"Do you... support your country's cause at all?"

"I've maybe... questioned it a few times."

"Then maybe you need to question your allegiance."

Terra was shocked that Aqua would say something as bold as that. But then he thought for a second. Did he really approve of all this killing? Just for expansion?

No. No he didn't.

"Yeah. I guess I do."

"You're always welcome to join the Vulgarans. One of my best friends defected."

"Yeah, but... what would my friends say? One of my best friends, Zack, is on my squad."

"Maybe you should try to get them to see the truth."

Terra sighed. "Highly unlikely. And if I ever return to my country, I'll be branded as a traitor."

"You can't be afraid to be punished for making the right choice, Terra."

Terra ran his hands over his face. "Man... I hate lose-lose situations."

"Don't look at it that way. Think of it as... a penalty."

"Thanks... for telling me this stuff."

"You're welcome."

Just then, they heard a rustle from the right. Out of the forest walked three females, all in Vulgaran uniforms. One had long black hair, one was a blonde, and the other had pink hair.

"Finally! Thought we'd never find you," said the blonde one. Then she noticed Terra. She quickly readied her weapon. "Get down!"

"Relax, Larxene," said Aqua, calming her down. "He helped me out, so I'm helping him out. A life for a life."

Larxene strapped her weapon to her back. "Fine. There's a transport copter not far from here."

The pink-haired woman helped Aqua up from the ground and helped her balance, Aqua wincing in pain as she put weight on her broken leg. Larxene shot Terra a dirty look as they left the clearing, leaving Terra alone.

_Should I really defect over to the Vulgaran Republic? _Terra pondered Aqua's words. Didn't he really have a better reason to fight for Strylvakia other than patriotism? _Geez. What a night._

"Yo, Terra!" Terra turned to see Lea and Zack walk into the clearing. "Took forever to find you, man."

"Hey, Lea. Would you happen to have a sister named Aqua?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I ran into her about two hours ago. She had a broken leg, so I helped her out. She just left a few minutes ago."

"Geez. Couldn't have stayed a bit longer too see her brother she hasn't seen in years?"

"Guess not. She... gave me a lot to think about."

"Yep, that's Aqua all right. So she joined the Vulgaran Army..." Lea said to himself. "Ah, well. Better get you back to base.

"Yeah." They led him to an evac copter, where they were transported back to base.


	5. Chapter 5- A Threat is Born

-Secret Laboratory in Strylvakia-

Ienzo walked down the dim corridor. This was the professor's third night without sleep. How obsessed can one man BE? Ever since the commander-in-chief had contacted Dr. Vex, he had been working on this way to revive the dead. He had been getting closer and closer- or so he said. Dr. Even Vex could be a bit... farfetched, but Ienzo still had faith in his mentor.

The apprentice walked into the lab. The proessor was at his console, perfecting calibrations. Beside him was his lackadaisical assistant, Vanitas.

In the center of the room was a fairly-sized capsule. Inside it was some kind of green symbiote.

"Dr. Vex?" Ienzo asked. "It's two-thirty in the morning. This is the third night you've gone without sleep."

Dr. Vex simply waved his question aside. "I think I've finally gotten it, Ienzo. I just can't stop now."

Vanitas sighed. "I just don't see why I have to be here."

"I need as many witnesses as possible. You two were the only people that actually complied."

"I'm only here because Ienzo wouldn't shut up about it."

"Hey, if the professor actually succeeds, you can claim to be one of the first to witness this scientific miracle."

"Miracles aren't real. You know that."

"Both of you! Stop bickering!" Dr. Vex shouted. "Besides, we'll still need to test it."

The professor finished his calibrations. Holding out two pairs of goggles, he said, "Put these on." Ienzo and Vanitas did what he said.

The three turned towards the capsule.

"Let's see if this attempt will end in success or failure." Dr. Vex pushed forward a lever. The laboratory was bathed in green light.

"Come on... Come on..." Ienzo turned to look at his mentor. He could tell that Dr. Vex wanted it to work not just because of the fame, but because he wanted to take a break from the endless nights.

The green light faded. Inside the capsule was only a dull, black symbiote.

"Dang it... I was so close..." The professor's hand curled into a fist.

"Professor, you need to go home and get some rest." Ienzo didn't want his mentor to become fatigued.

"... You're right. Sleep will clear my head. Vanitas, take the sample to the disposal room."

Vanitas grumbled in response. "Fine."

The professor began leafing through his notes. "What could I have done wrong?"

Vanitas lugged the capsule to the end of the hall.

"Man... Why can't the professor finish this project already?" The grumbling assistant set the capsule down. "If this weren't the best way to get college credits, I would've never taken this job."

Vanitas headed back to lab. However, halfway there, he heard a slight cracking noise. "Huh?" He turned back and looked at the capsule.

The symbiote was moving.

"Professor?" Vanitas was genuinely scared. "Ienzo?"

The symbiote broke through. It towered above Vanitas, looming over him like a shadow of death.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Dr. Vex and Ienzo turned to the hallway.

"What happened?"

"I'm going to check now." The professor headed towards the hallway.

"But, Professor, it could be dangerous!"

Dr. Vex sighed. Turning to his apprentice, he pressed his notes into Ienzo's hands. "If something happens, take my notes and get out of here."

"Professor, let me go back there. You could die!"

"No..." He sighed. "I'm getting old, with nothing left but science. I've nothing left. I've been contemplating death for some time now. If not for this urgent assignment... I would have put a bullet in my head by now. If I die, so be it." He put his hand on Ienzo's shoulder. "You're my apprentice, Ienzo. I see a bright future for you. I wouldn't want that to be taken from you."

Was this really happening? His professor, eager for death. It was because he knew that there would be no coming back.

"Professor..." Ienzo's eyes began to water.

"Don't worry." The professor walked towards the hallway.

Just then, a dark, symbiotic mass burst from the hallway.

"Professor!"

"Go, you fool!"

Ienzo ran down to the elevator at the other side of the room.

The door closed just as his mentor was engulfed by the symbiote.

"NO!"

Ienzo sobbed. His mentor was gone. So was Vanitas.

Wasn't he?

Ienzo steeled himself, realizing just how much trouble the country was in if this spread.

No, not the country.

The world.

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a little while! It's just been that Soul Eater has gotten really good! I'm on episode 38. Anyway, let me know how this chapter is!**


	6. Chapter 6- Surprises

_Strylvakian Barracks_

That night, Terra couldn't sleep. He was too busy mulling over the events of the day, especially what Aqua had said to him.

_Do I really have a reason to fight other than just loyalty to my country? _He hadn't wanted to seem like a coward to others. _Am I really even fighting for anything? Am I just fighting to... exist?_

Terra sat up in his bunk. "Geez. I don't know if it's good or bad that I met her... I should take a walk." He slipped on his jacket and left to walk a few laps around the training grounds.

Terra walked to a ridge after slipping past a few night patrolmen. He sat down and dangled his feet over the ledge like he used to when he was a kid. "Man..." _Why can't we just be kids forever? Nothing bothered us. Everything was just so shiny and... perfect. We didn't have to make such hard choices, just things like which ice cream to get or what we wanted to do during the weekends._

"Hey, Terra. Up awful late, aren't you?" Terra turned around to see Lea, who sat down next to him.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, just making sure you don't die or anything."

"Yeah, right. Lea, I know you, and you would never sacrifice sleep for your friend's safety."

Lea chuckled. "Yeah..." He sighed. "So you really met Aqua, huh?"

"Sure did. Listen, I... I'm thinking about defecting to the Vulgaran Republic."

"Yep, that's Aqua, giving people thoughts that leave them awake at night..."

"It's just... I don't think I'm fighting for anything other than just loyalty and respect. And when you think about it... those aren't really that important compared to other things. I don't support what Strylvakia is doing, and I want to do something about it, but I don't know what you guys would think of me, and I would be branded as a traitor and a coward... I... I just don't know what to do."

"Well... If you joined the Vulgarans... I would go with you."

Terra was shocked. "You... you'd do that?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm kinda fighting for the same reasons you are, and just listening to you pour heart out about this stuff... I'm with you. Plus, it would be nice to see my sister again... also... did Aqua tell you about... about Kairi?"

Terra suspected that Lea was getting into an emotional topic, because he was talking less easy than normal. "Yeah, she said she's real sweet."

"I was never able to meet her. She was born after our dad took custody of me, and... I just wanna be able to meet her... at least once."

"I understand." Terra chuckled. "Man, we've really got it tough, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're the only two guys talking about this, the only ones that know about this. This isn't something that we can just tell others about."

"What about the other guys? We could get them to come along."

"Maybe Isa, but not the others."

"They're gonna know anyway, right? Once we leave."

"You're right... When are we gonna leave?"

"I don't know... sometime soon."

"Tonight? It's just eleven o'clock."

"I think we could."

_An hour later_

Terra and Lea looked back at the barracks. They were a few miles away.

"So this is it, huh? We're really doing it," said Terra.

"No turning back now..."

_Six o'clock in the morning_

Zack climbed out of his bed. "Wake up, everyone." Cloud, Isa, and Aeleus got out of their bunks.

"Where are Terra and Lea?"

Isa found a note on the floor. "I think this explains it."

_Dear squad mates,_

_If you are reading this, it means that Terra and I have already left for the Vulgaran Republic. We have reconsidered our beliefs and motivation and decided that this is the best option. If you wish to join us, feel free. If not, just make sure you don't kill us. It would greatly damage our emotional and physical health._

_Sincerely,_

_Lea O' Donnell_

"Lea... Dang it, Lea..." Zack's hands balled into fists. "Terra..."

"Well, it's what they want. No doing anything about it."

"But... what did they mean, 'reconsider their beliefs and motivation?'"

"Maybe they've decided that fighting for Strylvakia wasn't worth it."

Silence followed Isa's statement.

"Think about it. Do _we_ really think that this is worth it?" More silence.

Zack spoke up. "I don't"

Cloud joined him. "Neither do I."

"I'm with you," said Isa.

"I guess I'm in, too," added Aeleus.

"Then it's settled. We leave tomorrow."

_1 week later_

Terra and Lea sat down at a nearby cafe. They had just reached a small town in the Vulgaran Republic.

"Where should we go next?" asked Lea.

"I don't know, maybe an enlistment station?"

"Wait a second... Oh, no way... Geez, what are the odds?"

"What?" Terra turned to see what Lea was looking at.

There, sitting on a bench near a fountain, was Aqua.

"Yo! Sis!"

Aqua turned around to see Lea and Terra walking toward her.

"L-Lea? And... Terra, right? What are you doing here?"

"More importantly, why are you here?"

"I'm on leave." Aqua raised her arm, which had a cast on it.

"Ah. Well, as for me and Terra, we took your advice to heart and decided to leave."

"Thanks for that, I guess..." said Terra.

"You're welcome. Anyways, do you plan on joining the army?"

"Yeah, eventually."

"I see." Aqua tossed a coin into the fountain. "It must have been hard, leaving your squad behind."

"Yeah..." Terra felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, could you spare some-"

Terra turned to see who it was, and when he did, he almost fainted.

"Wha- Roxas? Ven?"

"Uncle Terra?!"


	7. Chapter 7- Reunions & Secret Affections

"Wait... _Uncle _Terra?"

Aqua was confused. First, Terra _and _Lea had arrived, and next thing she knew, there were two teenaged twin boys claiming that Terra was their uncle. What the _heck_ was going on?

"Oh yeah, sorry for not telling you about my family. I'll get to that later." Terra turned to the boys. "What exactly are you doing here?!"

"Well, a few years back I was captured by soldiers, but I escaped. Unfortunately, I was left stranded in Strylvakia," explained Ventus. "Then, I ran into Roxas here, who had also been captured..."

_Ventus sat behind a rock. A pair of Strylvakian soldiers was passing by. Suddenly, he heard a voice. It sounded a lot like his own... Since he wasn't talking, it would have to be..._

_"Hey, lemme go! I'm just a kid!"_

_Ventus peeked over the rock. There, being carried over a soldier's shoulder, was his twin brother Roxas._

Roxas! They kidnapped Roxas! I have to do something...

_Ventus loaded his small rifle, fumbling with the ammo cartridge. He took aim at the shoulder of the soldier carrying his twin. He didn't want to kill anyone, just wound them. Ventus steadied his breathing, looked down the sights, and squeezed the trigger._

_The bullet connected, and the soldier fell to the ground, clutching. As Ventus had hoped, Roxas was free of his grip._

_"What the heck was that?" exclaimed the soldier next to him._

_"I *agh* don't know, but we need to get out of here! Leave the kid!" The two ran off, leaving Roxas behind._

_Ventus stepped out from behind the rock. "You okay, bro?"_

_Roxas stood up. "Ventus? How are you- what are- and the- Oh my gosh, Ventus!" The two twins hugged._

_"Yeah, I escaped, and I'm headed back home. So unless you plan on visiting Uncle Terra, we'd better get going."_

_"All right." Roxas' stomach rumbled. "Got any food?"_

_Ventus held out a slab of meat. "I swiped this a couple days back." Roxas wolfed it down._

_"Actually, it's getting dark. We'd better set up camp."_

_The two hid in the underbrush._

_"How's Xion doing? She okay?" asked Ventus._

_"Yeah. She's made some friends."_

_"Well, g'night."_

_"Night, bro."_

"...and that's what happened."

Terra nodded. "I see. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Now, elaborate upon your family for us, o Terra the mysteriously-related-to-these-twins," said Lea.

"I have an older sister named Aerith. She has three kids- Roxas, Ven, and Xion."

"Xion?"

"She's my niece, same age as your sister."

Aqua nodded. "For now, we should just focus on getting your nephews home."

"Terra! Lea!"

Terra and Lea turned to see their squadmates walking towards them.

"Wait, what? Why are you here?"

"We took your advice," said Zack.

"Never thought anyone would ever take my advice..." said Lea.

Terra responded, "Maybe because it's Aqua's advice, and you just repeated it."

"True."

"Are these your squadmates?" asked Aqua.

"Yeah. Aqua, these are Zack, Cloud, Isa, and Aeleus."

"Nice to meet you all."

"Yo, Terra, are these the little squirts you talk about?" asked Zack.

"Hey!" exclaimed Roxas and Ventus simultaneously, arousing laughs from the group.

"I'm just kidding." Zack smiled. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, Aqua, Lea, and I are taking the twins home to my sister. You guys can go ahead and enlist if you want."

"Well, we were going to sightsee a little bit."

Aqua turned to look at the sun, which had begun to set. "We should probably check in for the night. There's a hotel nearby."

"All right. To minimize spending, we should just get two rooms. Each room has three beds, so it could be Aeleus, Zack, Cloud, and Isa in one room, with one on the floor, and Aqua, Lea, the twins and I in another. The twins can get the floor."

"It's decided," said Aqua. The group headed off for the hotel.

Late that night, Terra was in his bed. He turned to the right and saw Aqua sleeping in her bed. She looked so... serene, so beautiful.

"Eyeing my sister, eh?"

Terra, startled, turned to see Lea sitting up in bed. "Geez, Lea! I thought you were asleep!"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Of course not! I was just... uh... checking on her."

"You're an awful liar, y'know?"

"Yeah..."

"Eh, I don't care. I see why you're into her."

"I'm not into her! Stop jumping to conclusions!"

"Terra..."

"Okay, fine. It's just... she's pretty, and she seems real nice..."

"Yeah, that's what everyone says about her."

"Man... you've just gotta get your nose in everything, don't you?"

"I don't have to, it's just incredibly fun."

"Do you think Aqua's into me?"

Lea, for once, was silent. "I don't know what kind of guy's she's into."

"Just... don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Thanks. Good night." Terra pulled the covers over his head.

Aqua woke up in the middle of the night. Turning to the left, she saw Terra, asleep in his bed. He had strong features and was very handsome.

"Hey, sis. Didn't know you were a creeper."

"Wha-" Aqua realized that Lea was awake. "Did you see... uhh..."

"You eyeing Terra? Yep."

"I wasn't eyeing Terra! I was... checking on him."

"I've heard that before. I know you're into him"

"Shut up, Lea!" Aqua threw a pillow at him. "It's just... he's real handsome, that's all..."

"Go on..."

"He's really nice, too."

"Terra, the chivalrous knight... So he helped you out with your leg, did he?"

"Yeah. It healed pretty fast, but I'm not allowed to do any kind of military things with it for a while. That's why I'm on leave."

"Terra's always nice to most people."

"Yeah. Do you know if he's... into me?"

"Maybe." Lea thought about telling her about his conversation with Terra, but the angel on his shoulder won out. "You seem like someone he'd like."

Aqua smiled. "That's nice. Well, g'night."

"Night, sis."

**Foreshadowing! YEAH! **

**Thanks for liking my work! So, Terra likes Aqua, and Aqua likes Terra? We'll see how that plays out *chuckle*. Anyways, please review!**

**P. S. Aqua x Terra FOREVER 3**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry about not updating for a while! I started a new fic, so I hope you all read that. Also, last week I was competing in the National Spelling Bee in D.C. Here's a hint: I'm Speller #76. ;) Anyways, here you go, everybody! **

Chapter 8

-First Date-

"I bet you that Lea's behind this somehow."

Terra and Aqua sat inside a small cafe at a table for two. The cafe itself was on a side street with a cobbled path. Next to them were a purse shop and a department store. On Terra's side of the table was a cup of coffee, and on Aqua's side, a cup of tea.

"Really? You're the one that asked me if we should go do something together and get to know each other," said Aqua.

"Actually, Ventus told me to do it. And he's usually the least troublesome of the two."

"Terra, you can't blame Lea for thinking that we should go out together. We need to get to know each other."

"Yeah," said Terra, "but the other guys might misinterpret it!"

"So? What's so bad about that?"

"Wait- what? Are you implying that you-"

"Hee hee, no." Aqua giggled. "You're so gullible, Terra."

"Don't rub it in..."

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't worry what the other guys think." Aqua took a sip of tea.

"But what if they take it too seriously?" Terra asked.

"Terra, stop being such a worrywart."

"A what?"

"Never mind. C'mon, let's go somewhere and shop. Finish your coffee."

Terra downed the dregs in the bottom of the cup and stood up, pushing in his chair. "Let's go."

The two left the cafe and walked into the department store next door. On the first floor were jackets and coats. Neither of them were very interested, so they took the elevator to the next floor. On the next floor, Aqua found a blue skirt that she liked, so she went into the dressing room to change.

Once she got back out, she asked, "What do you think?"

"It looks good on you," said Terra. "It, ah, goes well with your hair."

"Thanks. I think I'll buy it." Aqua changed back and took the skirt to the counter.

On the next floor were wallets and watches. Terra needed one of each, so he found some that were orange- his favorite color.

While Terra was at the counter, Aqua thought to herself. _Why is he worrying so much about what the others think? Does he... have feelings for me?_

Terra was thinking about the same thing at the counter. _Could she actually be into me?_

Terra got back from the counter. "Shall we be going?"

"Sure. I also wanna check out the purse store by the cafe."

The two rode the escalators down to the ground floor. As they walked out the door, they noticed that the sun was beginning to set.

"You wanna go watch the sunset, Aqua?"

"Really? You don't seem like the type that likes to watch sunsets."

"I just thought that you were that type."

"Well, you're a pretty good guesser. I'll be quick with buying my purse." Aqua headed into the store.

_I can't believe that I actually got that right. That's good,_ thought Terra.

And of course, Aqua thought about him, too. _How could he know that? He's so nice._

Aqua exited the store with an ocean blue purse.

"Looks good on you," said Terra.

"Thanks." Aqua smiled. "Let's go find a good place."

The pair roamed around the outskirts of the town until they saw a tall hill in the surrounding woods. "Let's head up there."

A few minutes later, the two sat atop the hill. They could see all the yellows, oranges, and reds of the sunset. Boy, was it a sight.

"Man, the sunset's real pretty tonight," said Terra.

"Yeah... wait, didn't you say you weren't the type that likes sunsets?"

"Hey, I say a lot of things."

"Ha ha, yeah." The two sat in silence for most of the sunset.

Once it was night, Terra spoke up.

"I just hope... that this is the right choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Defecting to the Vulgaran Republic. I keep wondering whether this is worth it or not."

"Don't worry. You'll find out soon."

"Yeah." Terra looked up at the stars. "Geez, just looking up at the stars... it makes you realize just how small we are, and how fragile life is. You've gotta make it last."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right. And that means making the right choices."

"Aqua, do you believe in... life after death? Like, an afterlife?"

"Yeah." The two laid on their backs and stared up into the heavens.

"Hey, Aqua?"

"Yes?"

"I've really enjoyed this date."

"Oh, so you're calling it a date now?"

"Yep."

"I've really enjoyed it, too." _Should I...? No, because... but, it could... Oh, to heck with it._

Aqua kissed Terra on the cheek. "I'm heading back. See ya."

Terra touched the warm spot on his cheek in shock. _I guess she really is into me._

The brunette smiled. Finally, some confirmation.

_I should probably head back too._ He stood up and followed after Aqua.

Aqua's mind was filled with, _Should I have done that? Was it too soon?_

The blunette felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the smiling face of Terra.

"Did I make the right choice?" she asked.

"You sure did."

**TERRA X AQUA YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

**Looks like their true feelings are finally revealed! When will the others find out? And most importantly, how will this affect them on the battlefield?**

**Also, I was being completely honest about the spelling bee thing. For those who guess who I am, you get a cookie! :3**

**Anyways, keep reading and reviewing my fics and be sure to follow or fav! Most importantly, SUPPORT!**

**Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**YES YES YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSSSS! KINGDOM HEARTS 3 IS IN DEVELOPMENT! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Chapter 9

Family Reunion

Terra, Aqua, and the twins walked through the refugee camp amongst the houses.

"Which house is yours again?" asked Terra.

"It should be somewhere around here," said Roxas, "if I remember correctly."

"So what exactly is your sister like, Terra?" asked Aqua.

"She's real polite and quiet. I think you'd like her." The four walked for a few more minutes.

Terra turned to his left and saw a brown-haired woman tending a flower garden. She wore a bow in her hair and a pink dress. _I think that's her._

"Aerith!" The woman looked up from her garden and saw Terra.

"Terra? What are you..." She then saw her sons. "V-Ventus? Roxas? Is that you?"

The two boys ran forward. "Mom!" They embraced.

"I-I thought I l-lost you," sobbed Aerith. "I've been s-so worried!"

Xion walked outside, her eyes growing wide. "Roxas and Ventus are back!" She ran towards them and joined in the hug.

Terra walked towards his sister. "Nice to see y-"

He was interrupted by Aerith hugging him. "Thank you so much!" Terra hugged her back.

"You're welcome." Terra smiled. "This here is my friend, Aqua." He gestured to the blunette, who waved.

Aerith wiped away tears and offered her hand. "I'm Aerith. Nice to meet you."

Aqua shook it. "I'm Aqua. Nice to meet you, too."

"You both need to come inside for some tea. We'll catch up."

Ten minutes later, the adults sat in the kitchen sipping tea from mugs while the kids caught up with their friends.

"...and then we came here," finished Terra.

"I see," said Aerith. "It's nice to know you're on our side now."

"Yeah. I just hope that it's the right choice."

Aerith gently smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll work out."

"Uncle Terra!" Xion ran into the room and jumped into her uncle's arms.

"Hey, sweetie! How's it going?"

"Good! I've made lots of friends at school."

"That's great." Terra sat her down on the floor.

"I'm gonna go play with Olette now, okay, Mom?"

"Sure thing, sweetie. Be safe, okay?"

"Okay!" Xion left the room.

"I trust you've been doing well, Aerith?"

"Yes, Terra." Aerith took a sip of tea. "Also, have you heard the rumors of a truce between the countries?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not sure why now, but a lot of soldiers seem to be talking about it."

Terra's face fell. "If so, then I defected for nothing."

"Not for nothing. If not, you wouldn't have been able to go on that date with Aqua."

"Hey!" The two women laughed.

"I'm just kidding. Also, you wouldn't have run into Ventus and Roxas."

"That's true." Terra sighed. "It would just be easier if you knew what to do ahead of time. Then you could live your life without fear of the future."

"Boy, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine. Terra, if life were like that, then it wouldn't be fun."

"I know, but... it would be nice to have."

"Lighten up, Terra. You're so sentimental sometimes."

"I know..."

"Cheer up," said Aqua. "We're supposed to be happy right now, remember? Ventus and Roxas being reunited with their family and all?"

"That's true. We should celebrate," replied Aerith, who pulled a bottle out of the fridge. "Champagne, anyone?"

"Aerith, we really shouldn't..."

"Oh, don't worry. It's not like we'll get drunk or anything. You know me. Plus, the kids aren't around to see."

"Oh, okay." Terra found a trio of wine glasses in a cabinet. Aerith poured the champagne.

"To family," said Terra.

"To family," repeated the others. They clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

A half an hour later, Terra and Aqua said bye to everyone.

Walking away, Aqua said, "Your sister sure is nice. Your niece, too."

"Yeah."

"Terra, I think Aerith was right. You need to stop being so sentimental."

"Yeah... I guess I could try."

Aqua smiled. "Good. Let's go home."


	10. Chapter 10

**Man, E3 has me so hyped! KH 3 and SSB 4! I can't wait! :D Also, Terra and Aqua are each 20. Just so ya know.**

Chapter 10

Disbelief and Realization

One month later

"... it has been confirmed that the Vulgaran Republic and Strylvakia have indeed formed a truce."

Everyone in the hotel room cheered.

"It's about time," said Lea. "I've been getting tired."

"Lea, you're always tired," said Aqua.

"True, true."

"Man, I can't believe it," said Terra. "No more fighting."

"Yeah," replied Zack. "Now I have to get a life." Everyone laughed.

"Hey, how about we go out for a night on the town?" asked Cloud. "I heard there's a bar somewhere."

"That would be fun. My friends are gonna be here soon, so they can come, too," stated Aqua.

"Shall we be going?" asked Isa.

"Let's go," said Terra.

One hour later

"...so he says, 'I couldn't have been _that_ drunk,' and I reply, 'You were stumbling around the closet shouting, WHERE THE #$% IS NARNIA!'" The group laughed at Zack's joke.

"Nice one, bro," said Terra, sitting to Zack's left.

Everyone had resolved only to have two glasses in order to avoid getting drunk. Lea went for his second.

"It's kind of nice, not having to fight anymore," said Claire.

"Yeah," replied Larxene, taking a sip and burping.

"What are your guys' plans for the future?" asked Tifa.

"I dunno," said Cloud. "Maybe I'll run a delivery service or something."

"That's... not the Cloud I know," said Aeleus.

"Eh, whatever."

"You guys wanna head home? I'm kinda tired," said Terra.

"Yeah," replied Aqua.

Two hours later.

Terra couldn't sleep.

_Man, I... I can't believe it's over. No more fighting, no more pain. No more death._

_Maybe I should watch some TV._ Terra grabbed the remote and flipped to the news channel.

"... the symbiote has been contained, but barely. It is speculated that this is the reason that Strylvakia called for a truce..."

_What? _Terra hadn't heard about that. _What is that?_

"This footage is from just two weeks ago." Terra saw a crumbling city overrun with dark, symbiotic monsters.

_Did Strylvakia want to hide this?_

The battle was far from over.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'M BACK, BABY!**

**I am incredibly sorry for the long hiatus, but I just wanted a break from writing this. Anyways, pleeeeeeeeeeease don't hurt me!**

Chapter 11

Another Reunion

"You sure this is the place?"

"I'm certain of it, Lea."

Terra, Aqua, and Lea stood in front of a door inside an apartment complex. They were there to visit Aqua and Lea's mother.

"Man... I can't believe how long it's been since I saw her," said Lea.

"Must be tough, not having grown up with a mother," said Terra.

"Yeah, I learned most of what I know from my dad."

The three stood there for a few more minutes. "You ready?" asked Aqua.

"Yeah..."

Aqua knocked on the door. Seconds later, a blue-haired woman opened the door. Her hair reached the middle of her back, and she wore a blue dress. It was easy to see that she was Aqua's mother. Lea must have gotten most of his traits from their father.

"Aqua? What are you doing here? And..."

Lea put his hands in his pockets. "Hey... Mom."

"Lea... I-Is that... you?"

"Yeah..."

"Lea..."

The two embraced in a tender, loving hug. Tears ran down both of their cheeks. Never in all his years of serving in the military had Terra seen his friend cry.

"Lea, I've been so worried! Ever since you and your father left... and after what happened to him..."

"Wait, what happened? Lea never told me anything."

Lea pried himself from his mother and faced his sister. "I'm sorry I never told you. I didn't want to make you too depressed. But, anyways...

"Dad joined the military around the same time I did. He was killed in a laboratory explosion."

Tears formed in Aqua's eyes. "Dad..." She had hardly known him, but she had loved him. "Thank you... for telling me."

Mrs. O'Donnell turned to face Terra. "Who might you be?"

"I'm Terra Gainsborough. I'm a friend of Aqua and Lea."

"You all must come in and get me up to speed. Please, enter."

Terra, Aqua, Lea, and Mrs. O'Donnell sat at the kitchen table.

"...and then we came here."

"I see." Mrs. O'Donnell took a sip of tea. "It's good to know that Aqua is making friends outside of here."

The four heard footsteps coming from the hallway. All of them turned to see a young, red-haired girl rubbing her eyes.

Aqua's smile grew very fast. "Hey, Kairi." She got up from and walked over to her sister.

All signs of sleepiness immediately drained from Kairi's face. "Big Sis!" She jumped into her older sister's arms.

"How's my favorite little sister been doing?"

"Great! I've made lots of friends."

"Kairi, I've got someone for you to meet." Aqua set her sister down and gestured for Lea to come closer.

"This is Lea. He's your older brother."

Lea squatted down to where he was at eye level with Kairi. "Hey. Aqua's told me a lot about you."

Kairi looked up at her older sister. "This is really him?"

"Uh-huh."

Lea extended his hand, palm outward. Kairi held her hand up to match it, then smiled and threw her arms around her brother. Lea hugged her back and smiled, too.

The O'Donnell family was as complete as it could possibly be.


	12. Chapter 12

**I can hear the torches and pitchforks coming from a mile away.**

**Yes, in this chapter, I will be doing something that I will regret. Something bad is going to happen! I'm sorry, but I knew it was coming ever since the first few chapters of this fic. (One thing I never mentioned- the symbiote creatures are basically Venom from Spider Man without the spider symbol. :P)**

**Anyways, brace yourselves...**

**...for Terra's last stand.**

Chapter 12

Terra's Last Stand

1 month later

Terra, Aqua, and Lea crouched for cover behind a car. Terra reloaded his shotgun, Aqua her assault rifle, and Lea his sniper rifle.

They were surrounded by the crumbling remnants of a city. This city lied in the inner part of Strylvakia. Over the past month, the combined forces of Strylvakia and the Vulgaran Republic had made good progress into the inner circle of cities that had been reached by the symbiote outbreak.

The city was filled with soldiers evacuating civilians and holding off the symbiote creatures. The only surefire way of disposing of them was to go for the head. Any wounds to other areas would only slow them down. Of course, there was also fire, but it was too dangerous to use.

"You guys ready?" asked Terra, hefting his shotgun. The others nodded.

"All right. What we need to do is to get past this group right in front of us and see if there's anyone on this street back here. Hopefully, we won't have to evacuate until the city is cleared out."

"Okay. Let's go," said Aqua.

The trio stood up and began firing on the monsters, which turned and rushed at them. Their dark, inky skin absorbed the bullets. However, the three soldiers adjusted their aim and began to halt the attackers. Lea was the most efficient at that point, as the monsters were still a fair distance away. As they closed in, Aqua became more efficient, and as they got closer, Terra could get some good shots in. Soon enough, the symbiote creatures were lifeless on the ground.

"Let's hurry, said Lea. Terra, Aqua, and Lea stepped out from behind the car and ran towards the end of the street. The pavement was all cracked, and streetlights laid bent and broken. However, the three made it to the corner with relative ease.

Turning, they saw smoke, which prevented them from seeing anything.

"Man, I can't see five feet in front of me," said Lea.

"No kidding," replied Aqua. "Let's start moving onward."

The trio began moving through the haze. However, they were only halfway through when they received a message from their headsets.

"Anyone who is receiving this message, return to the helicopters immediately. The symbiote creatures are far outnumbering us, so we must evacuate with the survivors that we have already found. I repeat, return immediately."

They stood in silence. "Well, looks like we've got to head out," said Lea.

"Dang it!" said Terra. "There are still people left, I'm sure."

Aqua put a hand on his shoulder. "We're no use to them if we can't get them out of here. I don't like this any more than you do Terra."

"Wait..." Terra cupped a hand to his ear. He heard worried voices- childrens' voices. He edged a bit closer to the end of the street when the smoke cleared.

There, at the end of the street, was a school bus on its side.

That wasn't the worst part. Approaching the bus were several symbiote monsters.

"We have to go help them!" exclaimed Terra.

"Terra, we can't disobey a direct order. I'm sorry, but we have to go."

"I don't care about any stupid orders! It's our duty as soldiers to defend the innocent. I'm going, and I don't care if you're coming or not." The brunette sprinted off towards the bus.

"Terra, wait!" said Aqua, but Lea held her back.

"It's his choice, Aqua. Let him go."

"Terra... promise me you'll be okay."

Terra heard Aqua's last statement, and his heart instantly filled with regret.

_I'm sorry, but I might have to break that promise._

As soon as he reached the bus, he climbed on top and pried off the emergency door. The children screamed.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help." He reached in and pulled up the teacher.

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't worry about it."

Suddenly, Terra heard a predatory growl. He turned and saw that the pack of symbiote monsters was almost upon them.

"Help the kids get to safety!" he shouted. "I'll hold them off."

Terra hopped down and readied his shotgun. He fired at a creature, blowing its head off. Dark, symbiotic blood spewed forth as the other monsters grew closer. He fired and fired, soon running out of ammo, forcing him to swap to his pistol. He kicked down a creature and fired a few bullets into its head, killing it.

Soon enough, Terra had to switch to his sword. He wildly slashed, lopping off limbs and heads when he could. However, he soon began to grow tired. He would be grazed by the occasional claw, thus hindering him further.

Terra took a second and looked back at the bus. To his relief, the class had gotten out safely. He quickly leapt on top of the bus, trying to get a good vantage point. There were only a few monsters left. He stabbed one in the head and kicked it back.

Terra was losing strength fast, so he hopped off the opposite side of the bus and made a run for it. However, the remaining creatures were upon him. One grabbed his leg and hoisted him into the air upside down. However, Terra blocked its slash and cut its hand, allowing him to drop free. He quickly was back up and slashed it from stem to stern.

Terra cut two more down, leaving only one. However, he was at his limit. He feebly raised his sword to block, but as the monster swiped, his sword was knocked out of his grip.

He suddenly felt a sharp, intense pain in his chest.. He looked down, and saw the dark claws that had pierced his chest.

It was over. There was nothing that could be done. Terra sank to his knees, then fell face first onto the ground.

_Aqua... I'm sorry._

Aqua and Lea were running up the street when they heard several footsteps behind them. Turning, they saw a group of children and an adult, presumably their teacher.

"Oh, thank goodness we found someone!" said the teacher. "Can you please lead us to an evacuation point?"

"Of course."

"Thank you! You're just as kind as that soldier who helped us escape those awful things. He was quite scratched up when we hurried off, though."

Aqua's heart sank. "What did he look like?" she managed to ask.

"Well, he had brown, spiky hair, and he was very muscular." Terra.

Aqua sprinted back towards the ruins of the bus.

"Aqua, wait! What about-" Lea tried to say, but she was already too far away.

"Come with me," he said to the group, and led them off to the evac point.

Aqua reached the street they had fought the symbiote monsters on and turned the corner.

Just in time to see Terra get impaled by a symbiote monster.

"NO!" Aqua screamed. But it was too late. Terra sank to the ground.

Aqua angrily drew her assault rifle and fired, killing the creature. She ran to Terra's body, turning him over.

"Terra, you can't die! Open your eyes! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Terra's eyes fluttered open. He coughed, spewing blood.

"I guess... this is it. Sorry... that I *cough* couldn't keep... th-that promise."

"It's okay. You did your duty. You can stop fighting now."

Terra smiled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Th-that... *cough* ... sounds nice. T-tell Lea... and the others... that I'm sorry."

"Terra... p-please hang on," said Aqua, tears streaming from her face.

Terra weakly reached up and touched her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"It was nice... to get to know you... Aqua. I... I love you."

"I-I love you, too." Terra pulled her in for a kiss, then released her.

"Forgive me... for not staying longer..." Terra's eyes closed, and he released his last breath.

Terra Gainsborough was gone.

"NO!" Aqua screamed. "Terra, no! You can't die! Not now!" She hugged his body close, feeling the heat of his skin slowly growing cold. "No..."

"TERRA!"

Aqua suddenly felt her stomach turn. Leaning away, she threw up on the street. She wiped the remains of the bile from her mouth, then stood up.

The blunette heard a noise above her. Looking up, she saw a helicopter descending. It touched down on the street.

Inside was Lea. His face was stern.

"C'mon, Aqua. Let's go." Two soldiers got out and took Terra's body aboard. Aqua followed them and climbed in, sitting next to Lea. They were silent for about five minutes when Lea spoke.

"You're lucky I got them to come back for you. I talked them out of giving you any severe penalties, but you get three months of suspension."

Aqua said nothing.

Lea sighed. "Listen, Aqua. I- Aqua?"

Aqua's lip quivered. Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears and buried her face in her brother's shoulder.

"Easy now," said Lea, who put an arm around her. "It's okay." Tears dripped from his face. "I miss him, too."

The next day, Aqua was in her hotel room. She had decided to take her leave early. Opening the refrigerator, she found that someone had left alcohol behind. She took it out, contemplating it. _Should I...?_

_No. I'm not going to drink my troubles away._ She quickly placed the bottle back and shut the fridge.

_Terra..._

The day after...

Soldiers were all lined up at the cemetery for Terra's burial. A casket was slowly being lowered into a grave.

Among the crowd were Terra's and Aqua's squad mates, Aerith and her children, and Aqua's family. Aerith sobbed into a handkerchief while Roxas and Ventus simply stood silently.

Zack leaned over to Lea and whispered, "Are you going to tell her?"

"No. That wouldn't help at all."

Terra's body wasn't actually in the casket. His body was the most intact out of all the bodies recovered, so it had been sent off to be used in a project being run by some scientist named Ienzo. Apparently, this project was to revive the dead. However, that was what had started the outbreak in the first place, so Lea wasn't so sure about it. He wasn't going to tell Aqua because he knew she wouldn't approve. However, Lea desperately wanted his friend back, so he had been okay with it.

Once the casket had been lowered into the earth, the soldiers all saluted, and the 21-gun salute began. Once it was over, the crowd left.

Lea found his sister and gave her a reassuring hug. "We're all going to miss him."

**Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease don't kill me! Please! I am deeply sorry about this! Anyways, the story is drawing to an end, so you'll get to see soon enough if Ienzo's project fails or not.**

**Favorite, review, and follow! Most of all, don't hurt me!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we go! The last (official) chapter! There will be an epilogue, so stay tuned!**

Chapter 13

Miracle

1 week after the eradication of the symbiote...

"Are you sure that this is going to work?"

Lea and Ienzo stood in a laboratory. On a desk laid several notes and calculations.

In the center was a human-sized capsule. Inside it was the body of Terra Gainsborough.

"I'm actually not so sure. However, I've gleaned over the results of the past tests, so I'm confident. I want to do my mentor proud," replied Ienzo.

"I see."

The two turned to see Vanitas walk into the room. "Am I late?"

"Nope," said Lea. "Boy, you got really lucky."

"Tell me about it. The symbiote wasn't developed enough by then, so I wasn't assimilated." Vanitas sighed. "So, are we gonna bring this guy back or what?"

"You seem awfully enthusiastic, Vanitas. Might I ask why?" asked Ienzo.

"Let's just say that I have a newfound respect for science."

Ienzo handed out goggles to the others. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah." They put on their goggles, and Ienzo turned to his control panel. He pushed a switch forward, and the room glowed green. For Ienzo and Vanitas, there was a major sense of deja vu.

As soon as the glowing stopped, the three removed their goggles. Ienzo pushed a button, and the capsule opened.

Terra's body had been mended. His uniform, however, was still damaged. A tube connected to an oxygen mask was over his mouth and nose.

"All right- stimulating standard body functions..." said Ienzo. "Now, a small shock to jump-start him."

The scientist pressed another button, and Terra's body jolted. They all held their breath...

Terra stirred.

"Oh my god..." said Vanitas. "It worked."

Ienzo flipped a switch, and the oxygen mask retracted.

Terra's eyes fluttered open. "Where... where am I?"

Lea walked into the center and helped his friend up. "You're in a lab in Strylvakia. Ienzo here brought you back, so you might wanna thank him."

"Thanks, Dr. Ienzo."

Ienzo was too awestruck to reply.

"You're welcome," said Vanitas, filling in for him.

"Man... all I remember is..." Realization filled Terra's mind. "Aqua..."

"Don't worry. I'll get you to her soon enough. Don't you wanna go see your family first?"

"Yeah."

5 hours later...

Aqua stood on the balcony of her apartment. Her mother was out running errands, and Kairi was asleep. Lea was nowhere to be found.

Aqua stared up into the night sky.

_Terra... I wish you could be here._

Aqua remembered the last mission to the capital city. She had helped take down the symbiote colossus, and she had Terra in mind the entire time.

She hated herself for hiding her true feelings until Terra's death. _I should've told him I loved him sooner..._

However, she was happy that he knew, even if it wasn't for very long.

Terra had been the only guy she had ever felt a connection with. She didn't think that she could ever find someone like him.

Aqua was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open behind her.

"Hey."

Aqua turned to find herself looking at Terra.

"What... Terra, I... I thought..." She began to cry. "Oh, Terra!" She ran and hugged him. He hugged her back.

"Terra! I can't b-believe it! You're... you're alive."

"Yeah. Science can work wonders."

"Terra... I missed you so much..."

"It's okay. I'm here now."

"Terra..." Aqua looked up into his ocean-blue eyes. He smiled, then pulled her in for a kiss.

Neither of them wanted it to end.

Soon, they released each other from their embrace.

"C'mon," said Terra, gesturing for Aqua to follow him inside. "You need to get me up to speed."

**Aww. :3**


End file.
